Magnetically activated toy dog



P 1968 L. A. GOODRUM, JR 3,401,485

MAGNETICALLY ACTIVATED TOY DOG Filed June 20, 1966 INVENTOR Leo AllenGoodrum,Jr.

ATTORNEY 3,401,485 MAGNETICALLY ACTIVATED TOY DOG Leo Allen Goodrum,Jr., 4717 Birchman, Fort Worth, Tex. 76107 Filed June 20, 1966, Ser. No.558,936

7 Claims. (Cl. 46237) This invention relates to a toy dog, and itconcerns more particularly a childs plaything which comprises, incombination, a simulated dog having a one-piece body portion which ishinged to a supporting base simulating the hind legs, and having a pairof articulated fore legs hinged to the body, and a separate piecesimulating a bone having a magnet therein acting on a second magnet inthe nose of the dog whereby the dog is caused to sit up and beg inresponse to the action of the bone, upon advancing and retracting thebone relative to the dog, as in teasing the dog by first offering thebone and then withdrawing it.

The base, which is in the form of a four-sided shell loosely encirclingthe lower end of the body and having two opposite sides pivotallyconnected thereto, has abutments forwardly and rearwardly thereof forselective engagement by the body to limit its pivotal movement in eitherdirection about a horizontal axis corresponding to its pivotalconnection with the base. i

The fore legs each include a shoulder portion pivotally connected to thebody and depending therefrom, a lower leg portion pivotally connectednear one of its ends to the lower end of the shoulder portion and havingits longer end extending forwardly, and a paw portion pivotallyconnected to the forward end of the lower leg portion and dependingtherefrom.

A first cam surface on each side of the body is engage able under thelower leg portion of the corresponding fore leg, forwardly of itspivotal connection with the shoulder portion, to limit forward anddownward pivotal movement of the forward end of the lower leg portion.

The above mentioned cam surface lifts the forward end of the lower legportion, while permitting free sliding movement thereof in alongitudinal direction relative to said cam surface, as the lower legportion is swung rearwardly, with the shoulder portion, in response tothe upward and rearward movement of the body about its pivotalconnection with the base.

A second cam surface on each side of the body is engageable over thelower leg portion of the corresponding fore leg, rearwardly of itspivotal connection with the shoulder portion, to depress the rearwardend of the lower leg portion, as its forward end is lifted by engagementwith said first cam surface, so that the fore legs are adjusted toraised positions, in an attitude of begging, in response to pivotalmovement of the body in an upward and rearward direction relative to thebase.

Simultaneously with the lively action above described, which isaccomplished by maneuvering the simulated bone capriciously andmalevolently, and at will, before the nose of the importune dog, thelower jaw drops and the tail wags, as hereinafter described.

A small, elongated member simulating the lower jaw, which is disposedpartly in a cavity therefor in the body and extends forwardly thereof,is fulcrumed on the body intermediate its ends and is balanced in ahorizontally extending position, so that the jaw appears to drop as thebody is moved upwardly and rearwardly about its pivotal connection withthe base.

An elongated flexible element simulating the tail, which ischaracterized by its inherent spring tension, is passed through anopening therefor in the base, rearwardly thereof, and is fulcrumedthereon intermediate its ends.

A lug on the back side of the body abuts the top side of the tailelement adjacent its inner end, upon moving United States Patent3,401,485 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 ice 1 ing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a toy dog embodying the invention,showing the simulated bone in close proximity to the head of the dog andshowing the dog in a sitting up position, in an attitude of begging;

FIGS. 2 to 4 are side elevational views, on a reduced scale, showing thedog in different positions and illustrating the action of the dog uponraising the simulated bone, as if to take it away, after first offeringit; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates generally a simulateddog as hereinafter described, and the numeral 2 indicates generally aseparate piece simulating a bone which with the simulated dog 1comprises the invention.

The simulated dog 1 has a one-piece body portion 3 which is hinged to asupporting base 4 simulating the hind legs, and has a pair ofarticulated fore legs 5 hinged to the body 3, on opposite sides thereof.

The simulated bone 2 has a magnet 6 therein acting on a second magnet 7in the nose of the simulated dog 1 whereby the dog 1 is caused to sit upand beg in response to the action of the bone 2, upon advancing andretracting the bone 2 relative to the dog 1.

The base 4, which is in the form of a four-sided shell looselyencircling the lower end of the body 3 and having two opposite sidespivotally connected thereto, as at 8, has abutments 9, 10 forwardly andrearwardly thereof for selective engagement by the body 3 to limit itspivotal movement in either direction about a horizontal axiscorresponding to its pivotal connection with the base 4.

The fore legs 5 each include a shoulder portion 11 pivotally connected,as at 12, to the body 3 and depending therefrom, a lower leg portion 13pivotally connected near one of its ends, as at 14, to the lower end ofthe shoulder portion 11 and having its longer end extending forwardly,and a paw portion 15 pivotally connected, as at 16, to the forward endof the lower leg portion 13 and depending therefrom.

A first cam surface 17 on each side of the body 3 is engageable underthe lower leg portion 13 of the corresponding fore leg 5, forwardly ofits pivotal connection 14 with the shoulder portion 11, to limit forwardand downward pivotal movement of the forward end of the lower legportion 13.

The cam surface 17 lifts the forward end of the lower leg portion 13,while permitting free sliding movement thereof in a longitudinaldirection relative to the cam surface 17, as the lower leg portion 13 isswung rearwardly, with the shoulder portion 11, in response to theupward and rearward movement of the body 3 about its pivotal connectionwith the base 4.

A second cam surface 18 on each side of the body 3 is engageable overthe lower leg portion 13 of the corresponding fore leg 5, rearwardly ofits pivotal connection 14 with the shoulder portion 11, to depress therearward end of the lower leg portion 13, as its forward end is liftedby engagement with the first cam surface 17, so that the fore legs 5 areadjusted to raised positions, in an attitude of begging, in response topivotal movement of the body 3 in an upward and rearward directionrelative to the base 4.

A small, elongated member 19 simulating the lower jaw, which is disposedpartly in a cavity 20 therefor in the body 3 and extends forwardlythereof, is fulcrumed on the body 3 intermediate its ends, as at 21, andis balanced in a horizontally extending position, so that the jaw 19appears to drop as the body 3 is moved upwardly and rearwardly about itspivotal connection with the base 4.

An elongated flexible element 22 simulating the tail, which ischaracterized by its inherent spring tension, is passed through anopening 23 therefor in the base 4, rearwardly thereof, and is fulcrumedthereon intermediate its ends.

A lug 24 on the back side of the body 3 abuts the top side of the tailelement 22 adjacent its inner end, upon moving the body 3 upwardly andrearwardly about its pivotal connection with the base 4, to therebyeffect a flexing movement of the tail element 22 while at the same timemoving it pivotally about a horizontal axis corresponding to itsconnection with the base 4.

The invention may be modified in various ways without departing from thespirit and scope thereof.

I claim:

1. A childs toy comprising, in combination, a simulated dog having anelongated, one-piece body portion and having a supporting basesimulating the hind legs, the base consisting of a four sided shellloosely encircling the lower end of the body and having two oppositesides pivotally connected thereto, and the base having abutmentsforwardly and rearwardly thereof for selective engagement by the body tolimit its pivotal movement in either direction about a horizontal axiscorresponding to its pivotal connection with the base, the body having amagnet in its nose and having a pair of articulated fore legs pivotallyconnected to opposite sides thereof, and a separate piece simulating abone having a magnet therein acting on said first mentioned magnetwhereby the dog is caused to sit up and beg in response to the action ofthe bone, upon advancing and retracting the bone relative to the dog, asin teasing the dog by first offering the bone and then withdrawing it.

2. The structure of claim 1, the fore legs each including a shoulderportion pivotally connected to the body and depending therefrom, a lowerleg portion pivotally connected near one of its ends to the lower end ofthe shouler portion and having its longer end extending forwardly, and apaw portion pivotally connected to the forward end of the lower legportion and depending therefrom.

3. The structure of claim 2, and a cam surface on each side of the bodyen gageable under the lower leg portion of the corresponding fore leg,forwardly of its pivotal connection with the shoulder portion, to limitforward and downward pivotal movement of the forward end of the lowerleg portion.

4. The structure of claim 3, the arrangement being such that, inoperation, said cam surface lifts the forward end of the lower legportion, While permitting free sliding movement thereof in alongitudinal direction relative to said cam surface, as the lower legportion is swung rearwardly, with the shoulder portion, in response tothe upward and rearward movement of thebody about its pivotal connectionwith the base.

5. The structure of claim 4, and a second cam surface on each side ofthe body engageable over the lower leg portion of the corresponding foreleg, rearwardly of its pivotal connection with the shoulder portion, todepress the rearward end of the lower leg portion, as its forward end islifted by engagement with said first mentioned cam surface, so that thefore legs are adjusted to raised positions, in an attitude of begging,in response to pivotal movement of the body in an upward and rearwarddirection relative to the base.

6. The structure of claim 1, and a small, elongated member simulatingthe lower jaw disposed partly in a cavity therefor in the body andextendingforwardly thereof, said jaw member being fulcrumed on the bodyintermediate its ends and being balanced in a horizontally extendingposition so that the jaw appears to drop as the body is moved upwardlyand rearwardly about its pivotal connection with the base.

7. The structure of claim 1, and an elongated flexible elementsimulating the tail, characterized by its inherent spring tension,passed through an opening therefor in the base, rearwardly thereof, andfulcrumed thereon intermediate its ends, the body having a lug on itsback side for abutting engagement with the top side of the tail elementadjacent its inner end, upon movement of the body upwardly andrearwardly about its pivotal connection with the base, to thereby effecta flexing movement of the tail element while at the same time moving itpivotally about a horizontal axis corresponding to its connection withthe base.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,659,998 11/1953 Cavanaugh46-239 FOREIGN PATENTS 670,489 4/1952 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner.

1. A CHILD''S TOY COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SIMULATED DOG HAVING ANELONGATED, ONE-PIECE BODY PORTION AND HAVING A SUPPORTING BASESIMULATING THE HIND LEGS, THE BASE CONSISTING OF A FOUR SIDED SHELLLOOSELY ENCIRCLING THE LOWER END OF THE BODY AND HAVING TWO OPPOSITESIDES PIVOTALLY CONNECTED THERETO, AND THE BASE HAVING ABUTMENTSFORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY THEREOF FOR SELECTIVE ENGAGEMENT BY THE BODY TOLIMIT ITS PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN EITHER DIRECTION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXISCORRESPONDING TO ITS PIVOTAL CONNECTION WITH THE BASE, THE BODY HAVING AMAGNET IN ITS NOSE AND HAVING A PAIR OF ARTICULATED FORE LEGS PIVOTALLYCONNECTED TO OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, AND A SEPARATE PIECE SIMULATING ABONE HAVING A MAGNET THEREIN ACTING ON SAID FIRST MENTIONED MAGNETWHEREBY THE DOG IS CAUSED TO SIT UP AND BEG IN RESPONSE TO THE ACTION OFTHE BONE, UPON ADVANCING AND RETRACTING THE BONE RELATIVE TO THE DOG, ASIN TEASING THE DOG BY FIRST OFFERING THE BONE AND THEN WITHDRAWING IT.